Technology Articles

SPI protocol has earned a solid role in embedded systems whether it is system on chip processors, both with higher end 32-bit processors such as those using ARM, MIC or Power PC and with other microcontrollers such as the AVR, PIC etc. These chips usually include SPI controllers capable of running in either master or slave mode. In-system programmable AVR controllers can be programmed using an SPI interface.Chip or FPGA based designs sometimes use SPI to communicate.

So, SPI is a common technology used nowadays for communication with peripheral devices where we want to transfer data speedily and with in real time constraints. There are many serial interfaces right from Morse code telegraphy, RS232, USB, Fire wire, Ethernet and many more. Each serial interface offers advantages or disadvantages for many designs,depending on criteria such as needed data rate, space availability, and noise considerations. 

Handheld devices like a cell phone, palmtop and laptop were rapidly becoming an integral part of our daily lives. In most cases, these devicesdo not have compatible data communication interfaces, or, if they do, the interface requires cumbersome cable connections and configuration procedures. Isn’t it absolutely fantastic to connect your PC to share music, data and calendar info without using any wires? Or to wirelessly access phone numbers on your PDA from your cell phone. Driving without holding the handset makes it dramatically safer and easier. Accessing the internet, print files from your computer and print photos taken from a digital camera without a single piece of wire lying in your office.

An obvious solution was to get rid of the cables and use short-range, wireless, inexpensive and universally adopted by device vendors to facilitate on-demand connectivity among devices .The marvel of engineering gave us the freedom of exchanging data without using yards of wires and popularly known as Bluetooth.